Midsole assembly of footwear and footwear including the same

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a midsole assembly of footwear providing a cushioning function to the footwear having an upper. The midsole assembly includes a coupling member coupled to the upper to support the upper, and a cushioning member coupled to a side surface of the coupling member, bent to be convexly curved outward, and extending in a direction away from the upper to form an empty space under the coupling member.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean PatentApplication No. 10-2020-0063736 filed in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office on May 27, 2020, the entire contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present disclosure relates to a midsole assembly of footwear andfootwear including the same.

2. Description of the Background

In general, footwear has a configuration including an upper thataccommodates a user's foot and a midsole disposed under the upper toprovide cushioning. The footwear may also include an outsole stackedunder the midsole to be in direct contact with the ground. The midsolehas been developed while applying various structural and materialmodifications such as foam materials and air chambers in order toprovide an improved cushioning effect to the user. The cushioning effectof the conventional midsole may be influenced by an overall height ofthe midsole and a compression strain determined by structural and/ormaterial properties of the midsole.

However, the conventional midsole has a separate structure interposedbetween the upper and the outsole. Since this midsole structure occupiesa space between the upper and the outsole, a degree of compression andrestoration is limited when a load is applied or removed from the top ofthe upper. That is, even when the midsole structure is compressed to amaximum, it is inevitable to maintain a minimum thickness, so that thereis a limit to the range of compression and restoration. Accordingly,ability to provide cushioning to a wearer is inevitably weakened.

The above information disclosed in this Background section is only forenhancement of understanding of the background of the invention, andtherefore it may contain information that does not form the prior artthat is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill inthe art.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the present invention is to provide a midsole assembly offootwear that performs an improved cushioning function by applying amember provided under a bottom of an upper of the footwear to attenuatean impact generated by a user's load.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide footwear includinga midsole assembly that includes a cushioning system capable ofindividually and stably responding to loads of various angles andvarious sizes.

However, the problems to be solved by the embodiments of the presentinvention are not limited to the above-described problems and may bevariously expanded within the scope of the technical idea included inthe present invention.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a midsoleassembly of footwear providing a cushioning function to the footwearhaving an upper. The midsole assembly includes a coupling member coupledto the upper to support the upper, and a cushioning member coupled to aside surface of the coupling member, bent to be convexly curved outward,and extending in a direction away from the upper to form an empty spaceunder the coupling member.

The footwear includes an outsole under the upper, and the cushioningmember extends from the coupling member toward the outsole.

The coupling member may be configured to be coupled under at least arearfoot portion of the upper to support a rearfoot portion.

The coupling member may include a base plate supporting a bottom of theupper, and a side coupling portion supporting a side of the upper.

The base plate may be configured to be coupled under a rearfoot portionof the upper to support a rearfoot portion, and the side couplingportion is formed to be curved to surround a side surface of therearfoot portion and a heel of the upper.

The coupling member may include a side coupling portion configured tosupport a side surface of the upper, and the side coupling portion maybe formed as a single body or divided into plural to be coupled to theupper. The cushioning member may be divided into a plurality thereof,and the divided cushioning members may be coupled to the single body orcoupled respectively to the divided side coupling portion.

The cushioning member may include an upper end coupled to a side surfaceof the coupling member, a support pillar having a first end connected tothe upper end, a second end disposed opposite to the first end, and apillar portion that is bent convexly outward and extends from the firstend to the second end, and a lower end spaced apart from the couplingmember and connected to the second end of the support pillar.

The support pillars may be arranged in plural to be spaced apart fromeach other at intervals along the side surface of the coupling member.

At least one of the plurality of support pillars may include a pluralityof vertical section segments having different centers of curvature, andthe plurality of vertical section segments may include vertical sectionsegments with centers of curvature disposed opposite to each other withrespect to the support pillar.

At least one of the plurality of support pillars may have a width at thepillar portion that is different from a width at the first end or thesecond end.

Each of the plurality of support pillars may have an oblong shape havinga cross-sectional thickness that is different in size from a widthmeasured along an edge of the coupling member, and the plurality ofsupport pillars may be spaced apart at different intervals betweenneighboring ones, or the plurality of support pillars may have differentwidths from each other.

The footwear may include an outsole under the cushioning member, and thelower end of the cushioning member may be attached to the outsole.

The coupling member may include a coupling protrusion protrudingoutwardly on a side surface of the coupling member, and the upper end ofthe cushioning member may include a concave coupling groove to receivethe coupling protrusion of the coupling member.

The support pillar of the cushioning member may have an opening formedin the pillar portion.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides a midsole assemblyof footwear that includes a first assembly part including a firstcoupling member supporting a heel of the upper and a first cushioningmember formed under the first coupling member, and a second assemblypart including a second coupling member supporting a side surface of theupper and a second cushioning member formed under the second couplingmember.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides a midsole assemblyof footwear wherein the coupling member may include a pocket portionopened downward, and the cushioning member may include an upper endaccommodated in the pocket portion.

The pocket portion may be provided to protrude from an outer surface ofthe coupling member.

The pocket portion may be provided by being inserted inside an outerskin of the upper.

The coupling member may include a base plate supporting a bottom of theupper, and the base plate may be configured to have at least one throughhole.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides footwearincluding a midsole assembly having the above-described features.

The midsole assembly of the footwear may be coupled under at least arearfoot portion of the upper to support the rearfoot portion.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides a midsoleassembly of footwear having an upper and an outsole, the midsoleassembly including a support body that supports a side surface of theupper, is bent convexly outward from a side surface of the upper, andextends to the outsole to form an empty space between the upper and theoutsole.

The support body may be divided into a plurality of parts along an edgeof the upper, and the plurality of parts may be spaced apart from eachother and supported between the upper and the outsole.

Each of the plurality of parts of the support body may have a stripshape having a width measured along an edge of the upper.

The support body may include a plurality of vertical section segmentshaving different centers of curvature, and the plurality of verticalsection segments may include vertical section segments with centers ofcurvature disposed opposite to each other with respect to the supportbody.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the midsoleassembly of footwear may bring a remarkable impact attenuation effect.That is, the shock load is attenuated during all athletic activitiesthrough compression and restoration of the cushioning member, which canprovide further improved cushioning to a wearer.

In addition, it is possible to manufacture lightweight footwear due tostructural characteristics of the cushioning member, i.e., an emptyspace between support pillars, upper ends, and lower ends.

In the midsole assembly of footwear according to an embodiment of thepresent invention, an energy return may be provided to the wearer whilerunning and walking due to a material and shape of the pillar portion ofthe cushioning member.

According to the midsole assembly of the embodiment, the design of thesupport pillars for each area can be different, and thus, it is possibleto design footwear having required cushioning ability for each area.Furthermore, footwear equipped with such a midsole assembly can increasestability while running and walking.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view showing footwear having a midsole assemblyaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view showing footwear having a midsoleassembly according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewedfrom the rear.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the footwear shown inFIG. 1 taken along its longitudinal axis.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a verticalcross-sectional profile of a cushioning member in a midsole assemblyaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a midsole assembly according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 6A-6C are views showing a variation of a support pillar of themidsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention,where FIG. 6A is a front view, FIG. 6B is a side view, and FIG. 6C is aperspective view.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a variation of a cushioning member of themidsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention,schematically showing a state viewed from a side of the footwear.

FIG. 8 is a view showing another variation of a cushioning member of themidsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention,schematically showing a state viewed from a side of the footwear.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a medial side showing footwear with amidsole assembly according to another embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a lateral side of the footwear shown inFIG. 9.

FIG. 11A is an exploded perspective view showing a midsole assemblyaccording to another embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 11 Bis a combined perspective view thereof.

FIG. 12 is a side view showing footwear with a midsole assemblyaccording to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a coupling member of a midsoleassembly according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a side view showing footwear with a midsole assemblyaccording to still another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail withreference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skillin the art can easily implement exemplary embodiments. The drawings anddescription are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and notrestrictive. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughoutthe specification. In addition, the accompanying drawings are for easyunderstanding of the exemplary embodiments disclosed in the presentspecification, and the technical ideas disclosed in the presentspecification are not limited by the accompanying drawings, and itshould be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, orsubstitutes included in the ideas and technical scope of the presentinvention.

Although terms such as “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used hereinto describe various members, components, regions, layers, or sections,and these members, components, regions, layers, or sections are not tobe limited by these terms. Rather, these terms are only used todistinguish one member, component, region, layer, or section fromanother member, component, region, layer, or section.

Throughout the specification, when an element, such as a layer, region,or substrate, is described as being “on,” “connected to,” or “coupledto” another element, it may be directly “on,” “connected to,” or“coupled to” the other element, or there may be one or more otherelements intervening therebetween. In contrast, when an element isdescribed as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” or “directlycoupled to” another element, there can be no other elements interveningtherebetween.

It will be further understood that terms “comprise” or “have” used inthe present specification specifies the presence of stated features,numerals, steps, operations, components, parts, or a combinationthereof, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or moreother features, numerals, steps, operations, components, parts, or acombination thereof. Unless explicitly described to the contrary, theword “comprise” and variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” willbe understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not theexclusion of any other elements.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing footwear having a midsole assemblyaccording to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is arear perspective view showing footwear having a midsole assemblyaccording to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from therear.

Referring to FIG. 1, footwear 10 according to the present embodiment mayinclude an upper 12, a midsole 14 coupled to a bottom of the upper 12 toprovide a cushioning function, a midsole assembly 100, and an outsole16. The upper 12 may have a structure surrounding a user's foot, and maybe formed from leather, fabric, or synthetic resin. The outsole 16 maybe formed to have durability against contact with the ground since theoutsole 16 is a portion in contact with the ground while being spacedapart from and disposed at a lower portion of upper 12. A material suchas rubber having frictional durability may be used in a portion of theoutsole 16 that directly contacts the ground. The midsole 14 may beattached to a bottom of upper 12 corresponding to a forefoot portion FFand a midfoot portion MF to provide cushioning. For example, the midsole14 may be formed from a foam material that provides a cushioningfunction between the upper 12 and the outsole 16.

The midsole assembly 100 may include a coupling member 110 coupled tothe upper 12 and a cushioning member 120 extending while forming anempty space E under the coupling member 110. The coupling member 110 maybe coupled under the upper 12 to support it, and the cushioning member120 may extend from a side surface of the coupling member 110 in adirection away from the upper 12. In this case, the cushioning member120 is bent so as to be convexly curved outward while going away from anempty space E.

As the footwear 10 according to the present embodiment includes theoutsole 16 under the upper 12, the midsole assembly 100 may be disposedbetween the upper 12 and the outsole 16. In this case, the cushioningmember 120 of the midsole assembly 100 may extend from the couplingmember 110 toward the outsole 16. The midsole assembly 100 may beprovided under a rearfoot portion RF of the upper 12, wherein thecoupling member 110 is coupled to and support the rearfoot portion RF ofthe upper 12. As another example, the midsole assembly 100 may bedisposed at any region between the upper 12 and the outsole 16. Themidsole assembly 100 may be coupled under a forefoot portion FF of theupper 12, coupled under the forefoot portion FF and the midfoot portionMF, or coupled under the forefoot portion FF, the midfoot portion MF,and the rearfoot portion RF.

Referring to FIG. 2, the coupling member 110 may include a base plate112 supporting the bottom of the upper 12 and a side coupling portion114 supporting the side surface of the upper 12. The base plate 112 maybe coupled under the rearfoot portion RF of the upper 12 to support therearfoot portion RF, and the side coupling portion 114 may be formed tobe curved so as to surround the side surface and the heel of the upper12.

Support pillars 124 of the cushioning member 120 may be arranged inplural to be spaced apart from each other at intervals along the sidesurface of the coupling member 110. Each of the plurality of supportpillars 124 may provide cushioning to a wearer while distributing andsupporting pressure according to a load of the wearer between the upper12 and the outsole 16.

The plurality of support pillars 124 may be provided with, for example,two on a medial side, two on a lateral side, and two on a heel side, sothat a total of six may be formed. However, the number of supportpillars 124 in the present invention is not limited thereto. That is,support pillars 124 may be formed as a single body, and may be formed ina plurality of more or less than six.

Each of support pillars 124 configured in this way are fixed to the sidecoupling portion 114 of coupling member 110 that is coupled around aside circumference of the upper 12, thereby attenuating the shocktransmitted from the ground during athletic activities. That is, thestructural shape of the support pillar 124 as described above may guidethe shock transmission in a vertical direction toward a sole of thewearer to be attenuated.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the footwear shown inFIG. 1 taken along its longitudinal axis.

Referring to FIG. 3, the cushioning member 120 may include an upper end121 coupled to the coupling member 110 and a lower end 126 spaced apartfrom the coupling member 110, and a support pillar 124 is connectedbetween the upper end 121 and the lower end 126. That is, the supportpillar 124 has a first end 124 a adjacent to the upper 12 and a secondend 124 b disposed opposite to the upper 12, and the support pillar 124of the cushioning member 120 may include a pillar portion 124 c that isconvexly bent outward between the first end 124 a and the second end 124b. Even at this time, the pillar portion 124 c is partially bentconvexly inward, and this also belongs to the scope of the presentinvention.

Referring to the enlarged view of FIG. 3, the first end 124 a isconnected to the upper end 121 and the second end 124 b is connected tothe lower end 126. In addition, the pillar portion 124 c may include atransition portion A extending downward from the first end 124 a whilechanging a direction, a curved portion B extending downward and outwardfrom the transition portion A, and a lower connection portion Cextending horizontally inward to the second end 124 b and connected tothe lower end 126 of the cushioning member 120.

The upper end 121 of the cushioning member 120 may be coupled to theside coupling portion 114 of the coupling member 110. To this end, thecoupling member 110 may include a coupling protrusion 115 protrudingoutward on a side thereof, and the cushioning member 120 may include aconcave coupling groove 122 at the upper end 121 to accommodate thecoupling protrusion 115. The coupling protrusion 115 may have a firsthorizontal portion and a first vertical portion, and the coupling groove122 may include a second horizontal portion and a second verticalportion. When the upper end 121 of the cushioning member 120 is coupledto the side coupling portion 114 of the coupling member 110, the firsthorizontal portion of the coupling protrusion 115 is in contact with thesecond horizontal portion of the coupling groove 122, and the firstvertical portion of the coupling protrusion 115 is in contact with thesecond vertical portion of the coupling groove 122. The coupling may beachieved, for example, through an adhesive, but, alternatively, may beachieved using a variety of methods including snap bonding, rivetbonding, bonding through hinge pins, and optional combinations thereof.

When the footwear 10 includes the outsole 16 under the cushioning member120, the lower end 126 of the cushioning member 120 may face and beattached to the outsole 16. That is, the outsole 16 may extend upwardalong the cushioning member 120. In this case, the outsole 16 may beattached to the lower end 126 of the cushioning member 120 and themidsole 14, and the outsole 16 attached in this way may be manufacturedas an integral type or a separate type. When the outsole 16 ismanufactured as a separate type, a part of the outsole 16 attached tothe lower end 126 of the cushioning member 120 and a part of the outsole16 attached to the midsole 14 of the footwear 10 may be separated. Asanother example, an integrated outsole may be attached to the lower end126 of the cushioning member 120 and the midsole 14 at the same time. Inaddition, the footwear 10 may further include an insole 13 inside theupper 12.

In the midsole assembly 100 according to the present embodiment, thesupport pillar 124 may have an oblong shape having a width measuredalong an edge of the coupling member 110 and a cross-sectional thicknessdifferent in size from the width. For example, the support pillar 124may have a strip shape. The support pillar 124 of the cushioning member120 may be configured to have different widths and different thicknessesfor each supported region. At this time, the ‘width’ of the supportpillar 124 is defined as a length measured in a transverse directionalong a perimeter of the footwear when taking a transverse cross-sectionof the support pillar 124, and the ‘thickness’ of the support pillar 124is defined as a length measured in a transverse direction from anoutside to an inside of the footwear when taking a transversecross-section.

For example, the width and thickness of the support pillar 124 on amedial side M may be set to be different from the width and thickness ofthe support pillar 124 on a heel side H. Likewise, the width andthickness of the support pillar 124 on a lateral side L may be setdifferent from the heel side H and the medial side M. Accordingly,different settings of the width and thickness of the support pillar 124according to an arrangement position may be determined for respectiveregions of the footwear. Variations in shape, cross-sectional thickness,cross-sectional width, and cross-sectional shape according to a heightdirection of the support pillars for respective regions are all withinthe scope of the present invention. Variations in these elements orcombinations of elements may also change the cushioning provided by themidsole assembly.

The cross-sectional thickness of each support pillar 124 of thecushioning member 120 constituting the midsole assembly 100 according tothe present embodiment may be formed to be within a range of 1 to 15 mm.In addition, the width of each support pillar 124 of the cushioningmember 120 may be formed to be within a range of 2 to 250 mm. However,the scope of the present invention is not limited to these numericalranges.

For example, the width W1 of the first pillar may be set to 25 mm, thewidth W2 of the second pillar may be set to 35 mm, and the width W3 ofthe third pillar may be set to 50 mm. As another example, when the widthof each support pillar is set to 2 mm, the number of support pillars canbe further increased. As yet another example, when the width of thesupport pillar is set to 250 mm, it may be formed as one support pillar.Accordingly, one or more support pillars of the cushioning member may beprovided, and all of these also belong to the scope of the presentinvention. In addition, it is possible to cope with various static loadsand dynamic loads by setting the number of supporting pillars and thethickness and width of each supporting pillar differently on the medialside or the lateral side.

Each of the support pillars 124 of the cushioning member 120constituting the midsole assembly 100 according to the presentembodiment may have different distances or intervals between supportpillars 124 adjacent to each other. That is, the distance D1 between thecenter line L1 of the first pillar and the center line L2 of the secondpillar adjacent to each other, and the distance D2 between the centerline L2 of the second pillar and the center line L3 of the third pillaradjacent to each other, may be set differently. For example, D1 may beset to 40 mm and D2 may be set to 80 mm. The distance between supportpillars adjacent to each other may vary depending on the number ofsupport pillars, separation distance, etc., and may be set within arange of 10 to 200 mm.

In the support pillar 124 disposed on the heel side, the width of thefirst end 124 a and the width of the second end 124 b may be the same,and the width of the pillar portion 124 c between them can be formed tovary with the height. It can also be formed on the medial side and thelateral side as well. Further, the pillar portion 124 c of the supportpillar 124 in each region may have a shape protruding outward, whereinthe width of the pillar portion 124 c may have a larger width than thewidth of the first end 124 a and the second end 124 b. That is, whentaking a horizontal cross-section of the pillar portion 124 c, an outersurface length of each cross-section may have different lengthsdepending on the height of the pillar portion 124 c (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

According to another example, the side coupling portion 114 of thecoupling member 110 may be separated into a plurality of couplingportions, and each coupling portion may be arranged and attached to theside surface of the upper 12. Each coupling portion may be configured tobe coupled to the upper end 121 of each cushioning member 120corresponding thereto, which is also within the scope of the presentinvention.

According to yet another example, the base plate 112 of the couplingmember 110 may extend from the rearfoot portion RF to the midfootportion MF, or from the rearfoot portion RF to the forefoot portion FFvia the midfoot portion MF. In this case, the base plate 112 may havecushioning ability, and thus, the base plate 112 will be deformed when aload is applied to the forefoot portion FF, the midfoot portion MF,and/or the rearfoot portion RF, and the base plate 112 will return toits original shape when the load is removed. The cushioning ability ofthe base plate 112 can help the wearer during athletic activitiesincluding walking and running.

Meanwhile, the present invention is not limited to a shape in which thepillar portion of the support pillar is bent convexly outward, and thus,the pillar portion may have a shape that is partially bent convexlyinward. This structure will be further described with reference to FIG.4 below.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a verticalcross-sectional profile of a cushioning member in a midsole assemblyaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

The plurality of support pillars 124 of the cushioning member 120 mayhave different curved profiles for each region of the rearfoot portionRF. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a curved profile of one of thesupport pillars 124 among the plurality of support pillars 124 may bedivided into 14 segments to have curved profiles each having a differentradius of curvature. A segment having a large radius of curvature r mayhave a curved surface close to a plane, and a segment having a smallradius of curvature r may have a curved surface that is rapidly bent.

The plurality of vertical section segments may include vertical sectionsegments in which centers of curvature are disposed opposite to eachother with respect to the support pillar 124. That is, the centers ofcurvature of some vertical section segments may be disposed outside ofthe support pillar 124, and the centers of curvature of some othervertical section segments may be disposed inside the support pillar 124.Referring to FIG. 4, it is shown that the centers of curvature C1 to C3of the three segments S1 to S3 adjacent to the upper end 121 are formedoutside, and the centers of curvature C4 to C11 of the remainingsegments S4 to S11 are formed inside. Segments S1 to S3 are concave tothe outside of the support pillar 124, that is, convex to the inside,and segments S4 to S11 are convex to the outside of the support pillar124. This is only an exemplary illustration, and the present inventionis not limited to the above position of the center of curvature. Thedrawings may be expressed in an exaggerated manner. For example, in FIG.4, segments S1 to S14 forming a curved surface of the support pillar 124are illustrated to describe an example of the support pillar. If segmentS8 is close to a straight line, the center of curvature C8 may bedisposed farther than that shown in FIG. 4.

Meanwhile, a part of the support pillar 124 may be composed of astraight segment, and segments S1 and S14 disposed at both ends of thesupport pillar 124 are connected to the upper end 121 and the lower end126, respectively, and the upper end 121 and the lower end 126 maycorrespond to a straight segment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a midsole assembly according to anembodiment of the present invention.

The midsole assembly 100 according to this embodiment may include anempty space E formed between the base plate 112 of the coupling member110 supporting a bottom surface of the upper (12; See FIG. 3) and thelower end 126 of the cushioning member 120 to form a hollow structure inthe rearfoot portion RF of the footwear 10. The empty space E is anempty space without any other element therein. This empty space may havea height equal to the distance between the upper 12 and the lower end126 of the cushioning member 120, spaced apart by the plurality ofsupport pillars 124. The adjacent support pillars 124 are connected toeach other through the upper end 121 and the lower end 126 of thecushioning member 120. As another example, the plurality of supportpillars 124 may not be connected to each other at the upper end, andeach may be directly coupled to the side coupling portion 114 of thecoupling member 110.

The lower end 126 of the cushioning member 120 may have a solid plane tocover an entire area in contact with the outsole 16. As another example,the lower end 126 of the cushioning member 120 may be formed to have ahorseshoe-shaped plane with a removed center along an edge of theoutsole 16 so as to connect second ends 124 b of the support pillar 124.

The coupling member 110 may be formed from an elastomeric material andmay be coupled to the upper end 121 of the cushioning member 120. Inaddition, the cushioning member 120 may also be formed from anelastomeric material. The support pillar 124, the upper end 121, and thelower end 126 constituting the cushioning member 120 may be molded intoa single body, or each component may be separated, individually molded,and combined together. At this time, the coupling member 110 and theupper end 121 of the cushioning member 120 may be coupled to each otherby a fusion bonding method, an adhesive method using an adhesive, or astitch or rivet. Materials of the coupling member and the cushioningmember are not limited to elastomeric materials, and may include variouselastomeric materials or carbon fiber reinforced materials and othermaterials.

The support pillars 124 of the cushioning member 120 constituting themidsole assembly 100 may be provided as two on a medial side, two on alateral side, and two on a heel side. Each of these support pillars 124may be designed to attenuate impacts due to different loads according totheir characteristics.

Each of the coupling member 110 and the cushioning member 120constituting the midsole assembly 100 may be manufactured from a mold tobe coupled to each other. The midsole assembly 100 may be subsequentlyattached to the upper 12 (see FIG. 3), and the outsole 16 may be furtherattached to a lower portion thereof. At this time, the upper end 121 andthe lower end 126 of the cushioning member 120 can perform a function ofconnecting the upper 12 and the outsole 16, and the support pillar 124of the cushioning member 120 can perform a shock attenuation function.

The support pillar 124 of the cushioning member 120 may be formed from,for example, a TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane), PEBA (Polyether BlockAmide), or TPEE (Thermoplastic Polyester Elastomer)-based thermoplasticelastomer. Thermoplastic elastomers are advantageous for injectionmolding, and can perform a cushioning function through their ability tocompress when subjected to a load and restore to their original shapewhen the load is removed. As another example, the support pillar 124 ofthe cushioning member 120 may be manufactured using a carbon fiberand/or a nanotube material. As another example, the support pillar 124of the cushioning member 120 may be manufactured using a material inwhich carbon fiber is reinforced in a material such as TPU, PEBA, TPEE,or the like. The present invention is not limited to such types ofmaterials, and various materials can be used to achieve a desiredfunction as a cushioning member.

The upper end 121 and the lower end 126 of the cushioning member 120 maybe formed from the same material as the support pillar 124, or may beformed using a different material from the support pillar 124. When theupper end 121 and the lower end 126 and the support pillar 124 areformed from different materials, the material forming the upper end 121and the lower end 126 may be a material having a relatively lesserdegree of deformation and restoration than a material forming thesupport pillar 124.

The coupling member 110 may also be formed from the same or similarmaterial as the support pillar 124 or may be formed using a differentmaterial, and may be formed by selecting a material having appropriatedeformability compared to the material of the support pillar 124.

The plurality of support pillars 124 of the cushioning member 120 areconnected to each other at the upper end 121 of each of the supportpillars 124, but the upper end 121 may be separated for each supportpillar 124 and attached to the side coupling portion 114 of the couplingmember 110. The method of attaching the cushioning member 120 to theside coupling portion 114 of the coupling member 110 may be bonding themusing an adhesive, an insert, a protrusion, and a hole. In addition, abonding method such as laser bonding and high frequency (HF) pulsebonding may be used in combination.

Meanwhile, the base plate 112 and the side coupling portion 114constituting the coupling member 110 may be manufactured as a singlemold. The mold may include a product manufactured by injection molding,3D printing, or other various mold techniques.

FIGS. 6A-6C are views showing a variation of a support pillar of themidsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention,where FIG. 6A is a front view, FIG. 6B is a side view, and FIG. 6C is aperspective view.

Referring to FIGS. 6A-6C, in a support pillar 124′ according to thisvariation embodiment, the width of a first end 124 a′ and the width of asecond end 124 b′ are the same, and the width of a pillar portion 124 c′may have a width smaller than that of the first end 124 a′ and thesecond end 124 b′. In addition, the pillar portion 124 c′ may have awidth in a middle portion that is narrower than that in a lower portion,and the lower portion may be formed to be thicker than the middleportion.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a variation of a cushioning member of themidsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention,schematically showing a state viewed from a side of the footwear.

Referring to FIG. 7, in a cushioning member 120″ according to thisvariation, the support pillars may have different widths and thicknessesdepending on their positions. For example, assuming that the midfootportion is disposed on the left side and the heel side is disposed onthe right side in the drawing, a support pillar 1241 close to themidfoot portion may be formed to have a wider width and thinnerthickness than a support pillar 1242 close to the heel side.Alternatively, the support pillars close to the heel side may have awider width and a thinner thickness than the support pillars close tothe midfoot portion.

FIG. 8 is a view showing another variation of a cushioning member of themidsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention,schematically showing a state viewed from a side of the footwear.

Referring to FIG. 8, in a cushioning member 120′″ according to thisvariation embodiment, the support pillar may have a different shapeaccording to its position. For example, in the case where the midfootportion is disposed on the left side and the heel side is disposed onthe right side in the drawing, a support pillar 1244 close to themidfoot portion may be formed to have a shape that is curved to one sidewhen viewed from the side of the footwear, and a support pillar 1245close to the heel side may have a through hole 129 formed in the center.In this case, although the support pillar 1244 bent to one side is shownto have a shape that is convexly bent toward the heel side,alternatively, it is also possible to have a shape that is bent convexlytoward the midfoot portion.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a medial side showing footwear having amidsole assembly according to another embodiment of the presentinvention, and FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a lateral side of thefootwear shown in FIG. 9.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, a cushioning member 220 of a midsoleassembly 200 of footwear 20 according to the present embodiment mayinclude a support pillar 224 divided into five, and in this case, thewidth and thickness of each of support pillars 224 may be formed to bedifferent from each other.

In addition, each support pillar 224 may have opening 229 formedtherethrough. One or more openings 229 may be formed in the pillarportion of the support pillar 224, and may be formed at the second end(lower end) of the support pillar 224. Openings 229 formed in eachsupport pillar 224 may be formed to have different shapes. That is, eachsupport pillar 224 may be designed to withstand different bendingmoments including compression loads and tension loads by changing theshape, width, height, and number of openings 229. In this case, thewidth and height of the opening 229 may be set smaller than the widthand height of each support pillar 224.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of support pillars 224 mayinclude a plurality of pillar portions separated from each other, andthe plurality of pillar portions may gather at the second end (lowerend) to form a bottom plate molded into a single body. The bottom plateformed in this way may form a lower end 226 of the cushioning member220. An upper end 221 of the cushioning member 220 adjacent to the firstend (upper end) of the plurality of support pillars 224 are separatedfrom each other and coupled to a side coupling portion 214 of a couplingmember 210.

FIG. 11A is an exploded perspective view showing a midsole assemblyaccording to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 Bis a combined perspective view thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 11A and 11B, a midsole assembly 300 according to thepresent embodiment may be formed by bonding a plurality of parts witheach other in a longitudinal direction of the upper 12. Each of theplurality of parts may be integrally formed with a part of a couplingmember 310 and a part of a cushioning member 320. That is, the rearfootportion RF may be divided into a first region RF1, a second region RF2,and a third region RF3, and may be divided into a first assembly part301, a second assembly part 302, and a third assembly part 303,respectively.

First assembly part 301 may be formed of a unit in which a firstcoupling member 310 a and a first cushioning member 320 a are integrallyformed to support the heel of the upper 12 and provide a cushioningfunction. The second assembly part 302 may be formed of a unit in whicha second coupling member 310 b and a second cushioning member 320 b areintegrally formed to be adjacent to the first assembly part 301 andsupport a side surface of the upper 12. In addition, the third assemblypart 303 may be formed of a unit in which a third coupling member 310 cand a third cushioning member 320 c are integrally formed to be adjacentto the second assembly part 302 and support a side of the midfootportion MF of the upper 12. Each of the first assembly part 301, thesecond assembly part 302, and the third assembly part 303 may be formedin a separate mold. Alternatively, they may be formed in a single moldor in multiple molds at once.

The first assembly part 301, the second assembly part 302, and the thirdassembly part 303 may be coupled to each other to form the midsoleassembly 300, and may be coupled to the rearfoot portion RF of the upper12 to support it.

In this embodiment, an embodiment in which the rearfoot portion RF isdivided into three regions and divided into three assembly parts 301,302, and 303 respectively corresponding thereto has been described.However, it is also possible to form a midsole assembly by combining oneintegrally molded part or two or more divided assembly parts, and themidsole assembly may be divided in a direction other than the directiontraversing the medial side-lateral side as in the embodiment above (thetransverse direction of the upper).

Each mold of the first assembly part 301, the second assembly part 302,and the third assembly part 303 according to the present embodiment maybe manufactured with an integral structure using injection molding, 3Dprinting, and various other molding methods. At this time, the firstassembly part 301, the second assembly part 302, and the third assemblypart 303 may be, for example, formed from a TPU (ThermoplasticPolyurethane), PEBA (Polyether Block Amide), or TPEE (ThermoplasticPolyester Elastomer)-based thermoplastic elastomer.

FIG. 12 is a side view showing footwear having a midsole assemblyaccording to still another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.13 is a perspective view showing a coupling member of a midsole assemblyaccording to still another embodiment of the present invention.

In a midsole assembly 400 of footwear 40 according to the presentembodiment, a coupling member 410 may be divided into a plurality ofparts and each coupled to the upper 12, and a cushioning member 420 maybe divided into a plurality of parts and each coupled to the couplingmember 410. In this case, the coupling member 410 may include a baseplate 412 and a side coupling portion 414.

The base plate 412 of the coupling member 410 may constitute a bottom ofthe coupling member 410 coupled to a bottom surface of the upper 12, andmay have the same planar shape as the bottom surface of the upper 12corresponding to the base plate 412. The base plate 412 may be formed ina lattice shape having one or more through holes, and may be coupled tothe bottom surface of the upper 12. However, the present invention isnot limited to the lattice shape on the bottom, and the base plate mayhave cut-outs on a medial side and on a lateral side. Based on thematerial properties and patterns of the base plate 412, the couplingmember may cause a certain level of deformation according to aconfiguration. The material of the base plate 412 may be fabric,leather, or thermoplastic resin. The base plate 412 coupled to the upper12 may be configured to have one or more through holes rather than alattice shape, or may be formed of a combination of a plurality ofmaterials.

The base plate having a lattice shape described with reference to FIG.13 is not limited to this embodiment, and thus, the lattice plate can beapplied to all embodiments including FIG. 1, which also falls within thescope of the present invention.

The side coupling portion 414 of the coupling member 410 may be bentupward from an edge of the base plate 412 and may be coupled to acircumference of the upper 12. The side coupling portion 414 may includea pocket portion 414 a opened downward, and the pocket portion 414 a maybe formed of a plurality of parts separated from each other and may bedisposed along a circumference of the base plate 412. The pocket portion414 a may be provided to protrude from an outer surface of the couplingmember 410. The side coupling portion 414 may be formed from a softmaterial such as fiber or leather, or may be formed of a nylon-basedelastomer having a certain level of strength. As another example, theside coupling portion 414 of the coupling member 410 may be attachedthrough a reinforcing member when coupled to a side surface of the upper12, which is also within the scope of the present invention.

The cushioning member 420 may include an upper end 421 accommodated inthe pocket portion 414 a of the coupling member 410, a lower end 426spaced apart from the coupling member 410 and formed in a planar shape,and a support pillar 424 extending from the lower end 426 and connectedto the upper end 421. The upper end 421 of the cushioning member 420 mayextend, for example, in a vertical direction from a support pillar 424to be fitted and coupled to the pocket portion 414 a of the couplingmember 410. The upper end 421 extending from the plurality of supportpillars 424 may be individually inserted into and fixed to correspondingpocket portions 414 a, respectively.

FIG. 14 is a side view showing footwear with a midsole assemblyaccording to still another embodiment of the present invention.

In a midsole assembly 500 of the footwear (50) according to the presentembodiment, a pocket portion 514 a is provided inside a side of an upper52. The upper 52 may include an inner skin 52 a, an outer skin 52 c, anda middle skin 52 b, and the middle skin 52 b may have a form in which aplurality of pocket portions 514 a are connected to each other andfitted between the inner skin 52 a and the outer skin 52. A lower end ofthe middle skin 52 b may be connected to the outer skin 52 c, and a slit52 d capable of communicating with the pocket portion 514 a may be cutout through the outer skin 52 c.

The cushioning member 520 may include an upper end 521 accommodated inthe pocket portion 514 a of the coupling member 510, a lower end 526spaced apart from the coupling member 510 and formed in a planar shape,and a support pillar 524 extending from the lower end 526 and connectedto the upper end 521.

Referring to the cross-section taken along the line A-A′ shown in FIG.14, an upper end 521 of a cushioning member 520 may pass through theslit 52 d formed in the outer skin 52 c of the upper 52 to be coupled tothe pocket portion 514 a of the middle skin 52 b. Accordingly, in thisembodiment, the middle skin 52 b may perform a function corresponding toa side coupling portion 514 of a coupling member 510. The pocket portion514 a disposed on the middle skin 52 b is formed in plural, and mayindividually accommodate upper ends 521 extending from the plurality ofsupport pillars 524. Bonding of the coupling member 510 and thecushioning member 520 may use an adhesive bonding, laser bonding, or aHF pulse bonding method, but the present invention is not limited tothis bonding method. The material of the middle skin 52 b may be rubber,elastomer, resin, fiber, fabric, or a combination thereof, however, thepresent invention is not limited by these materials.

In this embodiment, the middle skin 52 b of the upper 52 performs afunction of the coupling member 510 to which the cushioning member 520is connected, but the present invention is not limited to thisembodiment. Similar to other embodiments, the base plate may beinstalled individually under the upper or together with the middle skin52 b or the outer skin 52 c of the upper 52.

The cushioning member is coupled to a side surface of the upper in allembodiments of the present invention. In addition, the cushioning membermay be coupled to the side surface of the upper through existingreinforcement at the heel side.

In the midsole assembly according to the embodiments of the presentinvention described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14, it has beendescribed that the cushioning member is installed on the rearfootportion of the footwear, but the present invention is not limitedthereto. That is, the cushioning member may be installed extending tothe midfoot portion or the forefoot portion of the footwear. It isnatural that the width, distance, and number of support pillars of atleast one support pillar may be set differently as described above whenthe midsole assembly as described above is installed on a lower sideboundary of an entire area of the footwear including the rearfootportion, the forefoot portion, and the midfoot portion.

Meanwhile, when the outsole is omitted according to a type of footwear,the lower end of the cushioning member of the midsole assembly accordingto the embodiment of the present invention may be configured to directlycontact the ground. In this case, the lower end of the cushioning membermay be formed of a solid plate or a horseshoe plate to which supportpillars of the cushioning member are gathered and connected.

With respect to the coupling member described in the above embodiments,if a structure is coupled to the upper to support the upper and thecushioning member can be connected thereto, it can naturally beinterpreted as the coupling member of the present disclosure regardlessof the name used in the conventional footwear structure or its inherentfunction.

It is possible to manufacture all components such as the midsoleassembly, the upper, and the outsole using a 3D printer, or tomanufacture the entire footwear including this configuration by moldingwith a 3D printer, and this also falls within the scope of the presentinvention.

Although the present disclosure has been described with emphasis onsports shoes for athletic activities such as running, it can be appliedto other types of footwear.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it ispossible to implement various modifications within the scope of theclaims, the description of the invention, and the accompanying drawings,and it is natural to fall within the range.

What is claimed is:
 1. A midsole assembly of footwear providing acushioning function to the footwear having an upper, the midsoleassembly comprising: a coupling member coupled to the upper to supportthe upper; and a cushioning member coupled to a side surface of thecoupling member, bent to be convexly curved outward, and extending in adirection away from the upper to form an empty space under the couplingmember.
 2. The midsole assembly of footwear of claim 1, wherein thefootwear comprises an outsole under the upper, and the cushioning memberextends from the coupling member toward the outsole.
 3. The midsoleassembly of footwear of claim 1, wherein the coupling member isconfigured to be coupled under at least a rearfoot portion of the upperto support the rearfoot portion.
 4. The midsole assembly of footwear ofclaim 1, wherein the coupling member comprises: a base plate supportinga bottom of the upper; and a side coupling portion supporting a sidesurface of the upper.
 5. The midsole assembly of footwear of claim 4,wherein the base plate is configured to be coupled under a rearfootportion of the upper to support the rearfoot portion, wherein the sidecoupling portion is formed to be curved to surround a side surface ofthe rearfoot portion and a heel of the upper.
 6. The midsole assembly offootwear of claim 1, wherein the coupling member comprises a sidecoupling portion configured to support a side surface of the upper,wherein the side coupling portion is formed as a single body or dividedinto plural to be coupled to the upper, and wherein the cushioningmember is divided into a plurality thereof, and the divided cushioningmembers are coupled to the single body or coupled respectively to thedivided side coupling portion.
 7. The midsole assembly of footwear ofclaim 1, wherein the cushioning member comprises: an upper end coupledto a side surface of the coupling member; a support pillar having afirst end connected to the upper end, a second end disposed opposite tothe first end, and a pillar portion that is bent convexly outward andextends from the first end to the second end; and a lower end spacedapart from the coupling member and connected to the second end of thesupport pillar.
 8. The midsole assembly of footwear of claim 7, whereinthe support pillars are arranged in plural to be spaced apart from eachother at intervals along the side surface of the coupling member.
 9. Themidsole assembly of footwear of claim 8, wherein at least one of theplurality of support pillars comprises a plurality of vertical sectionsegments having different centers of curvature, wherein the plurality ofvertical section segments comprise vertical section segments withcenters of curvature disposed opposite to each other with respect to thesupport pillar.
 10. The midsole assembly of footwear of claim 8, whereinat least one of the plurality of support pillars has a width at thepillar portion that is different from a width at the first end or thesecond end.
 11. The midsole assembly of footwear of claim 8, whereineach of the plurality of support pillars has an oblong shape having across-sectional thickness that is different in size from a widthmeasured along an edge of the coupling member, wherein the plurality ofsupport pillars are spaced apart at different intervals betweenneighboring ones, or the plurality of support pillars have differentwidths from each other.
 12. The midsole assembly of footwear of claim 7,wherein the footwear comprises an outsole under the cushioning member,wherein the lower end of the cushioning member is attached to theoutsole.
 13. The midsole assembly of footwear of claim 7, wherein thecoupling member comprises a coupling protrusion protruding outwardly ona side surface of the coupling member, wherein the upper end of thecushioning member comprises a concave coupling groove to receive thecoupling protrusion of the coupling member.
 14. The midsole assembly offootwear of claim 7, wherein the support pillar of the cushioning memberhas an opening formed in the pillar portion.
 15. The midsole assembly offootwear of claim 1, further comprising: a first assembly partcomprising a first coupling member supporting a heel of the upper and afirst cushioning member formed under the first coupling member; and asecond assembly part comprising a second coupling member supporting aside surface of the upper and a second cushioning member formed underthe second coupling member.
 16. The midsole assembly of footwear ofclaim 1, wherein the coupling member comprises a pocket portion openeddownward, wherein the cushioning member comprises an upper endaccommodated in the pocket portion.
 17. The midsole assembly of footwearof claim 16, wherein the pocket portion is provided to protrude from anouter surface of the coupling member.
 18. The midsole assembly offootwear of claim 16, wherein the pocket portion is provided by beinginserted inside an outer skin of the upper.
 19. The midsole assembly offootwear of claim 1, wherein the coupling member comprises a base platesupporting a bottom of the upper, wherein the base plate is configuredto have at least one through hole.
 20. Footwear comprising the midsoleassembly of claim
 1. 21. The footwear of claim 20, wherein the midsoleassembly is coupled under at least a rearfoot portion of the upper tosupport the rearfoot portion.
 22. A midsole assembly of footwear havingan upper and an outsole, the midsole assembly comprising a support bodythat supports a side surface of the upper, is bent convexly outward froma side surface of the upper, and extends to the outsole to form an emptyspace between the upper and the outsole.
 23. The midsole assembly offootwear of claim 22, wherein the support body is divided into aplurality of parts along an edge of the upper, wherein the plurality ofparts are spaced apart from each other and supported between the upperand the outsole.
 24. The midsole assembly of footwear of claim 23,wherein each of the plurality of parts of the support body has a stripshape having a width measured along an edge of the upper.
 25. Themidsole assembly of footwear of claim 22, wherein the support bodycomprises a plurality of vertical section segments having differentcenters of curvature, wherein the plurality of vertical section segmentscomprise vertical section segments with centers of curvature disposedopposite to each other with respect to the support body.